The sudden death of a senior officer of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Mr. Lumi Elisha Gwamis, has thrown residents of Boi District in Bogoro Local Government Area of Bauchi State into mourning.
Gwamis, 44, was the eldest son of a former Executive Chairman of Bogoro LGA, Hon. Elisha Tula Gwamis.
While early reports within the community suggested the deceased may have been battling depression prior to his death, with some residents alleging suicide, the exact circumstances remain unconfirmed.
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Speaking during a condolence visit on Monday, his father described the incident as devastating.
“My son, Lumi, was healthy and hearty. None of us was aware of what he was about to do. It was later we heard the bad news. It is very unfortunate and all of us are full of sorrow,” he said.
Residents and sympathisers across Bogoro LGA have continued to express shock, describing Gwamis as a committed public servant whose death came unexpectedly.
He is scheduled to be buried on Wednesday, June 10, following a funeral service in Boi, Bogoro LGA.
Gwamis is survived by his parents, Hon. Elisha Tula Gwamis and Mrs. Saratu Elisha Gwamis, as well as his siblings.
However, the Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone D, Bauchi, has urged caution over reports surrounding the cause of death.
Speaking with journalists, the Unit’s Public Relations Officer, Umar Abdullahi, said there was no official information confirming suicide.
“What the father of the deceased told us was that he was sick. He came to the office accompanied by his father to document, having been newly posted to the unit from Tin Can Island Port. He took annual leave, which he was entitled to, and left with his father,” he said.
“Later, the father informed us that the officer had died. We cannot conclude that he took his own life because that was not what we were told. We work with verified information, not rumours.”
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He added that the officer had recently been transferred to Bauchi and had not fully resumed duties before proceeding on leave due to health concerns.
The circumstances surrounding his sudden death remain unclear as of the time of filing this report.
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